In animals, the brain (enkephale) (Greek for “in the skull”), is the control center of the central nervous system, responsible for behavior. The brain is located in the head, protected by the skull and close to the primary sensory apparatus of vision, hearing, equilibrioception (balance), sense of taste, and olfaction (smell).
Carnegie mellon study shows just listening to cell phones significantly impairs drivers; Brain imaging reveals drivers are distracted even if they don’t talk. – Carnegie Mellon University scientists have shown that just listening to a cell phone while driving is a significant distraction, and it causes drivers to commit some of the same types of driving errors that can occur under the influence of alcohol.
The Parkinson?s Disease Society (PD) has announced funding of ?170k to the University of Bristol for research into how to make stem cells produce dopamine and live longer after they have been transplanted into animals. – The Parkinson’s Disease Society (PD) has announced funding of ?170k to the University of Bristol for research into how to make stem cells produce dopamine and live longer after they have been transplanted into animals.
Low free testosterone concentration as a potentially treatable cause of depressive symptoms in older men – Older men with lower free testosterone levels in their blood appear to have higher prevalence of depression, according to a report in the March issue of Archives of General Psychiatry, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.
A small striped fish is helping scientists understand what makes people susceptible to a common form of hearing loss, although, in this case, it?s not the fish?s ears that are of interest. – A small striped fish is helping scientists understand what makes people susceptible to a common form of hearing loss, although, in this case, it’s not the fish’s ears that are of interest. In a study published in the Feb. 29 issue of the journal PLoS Genetics, researchers at the University of Washington have developed a research method that relies on a zebrafish’s lateral line-the faint line running down each side of a fish that enables it to sense its surroundings-to quickly screen for genes and chemical compounds that protect against hearing loss from some medications.
Results of promising Australian research into clot busting treatments for stroke is announced by researchers at an international stroke conference in the United States. – The study, co-ordinated by the Royal Melbourne Hospital and conducted by the Australasian Stroke Trialists Network including the Hunter Medical Research Institute (HMRI) Stroke Research Group demonstrates that clot busting (thrombolysis) treatment can be effective when administered up to six hours after a stroke.
Cocaine alters the parts of the brain responsible for controlling behaviour and making appropriate decisions. – Researchers looking at brain activity of cocaine users may have identified a biological lack of willpower’ that will help us understand why some people become long-term addicts while others can use the drug socially.
A brain circuit that underlies feelings of stress and anxiety shows promise as a new therapeutic target for alcoholism. – A brain circuit that underlies feelings of stress and anxiety shows promise as a new therapeutic target for alcoholism, according to new studies by researchers at the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
Rates of cognitive impairment among older Americans are on the decline, according to a new study supported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) comparing the cognitive health of older people in 1993 and 2002. Higher levels of education were associated with better cognitive health. – Higher levels of health education improved cognitive health among older Americans. Rates of cognitive impairment among older Americans are on the decline, according to a new study supported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) comparing the cognitive health of older people in 1993 and 2002.
New gene improves our understanding of hair growth and offers a path to effective therapies. Research findings will lead to new therapies that will work with various forms of hair loss. – A healthy individual loses around a hundred hairs a day. Nothing to worry about as long as they are constantly replaced and the losses occur evenly around the whole scalp. But when hair loss goes well beyond this level it can become quite a problem for those affected ? not only superficially in terms of looks but also psychologically.
Good news on gray matter: Memory loss and other cognitive impairment becoming less common in older Americans, U-M study finds; Better education, finances & cardiovascular care may be boosting brain health. – It appears that memory loss and thinking problems are becoming less common among older Americans. A new study shows a downward trend in the rate of “cognitive impairment” – the umbrella term for everything from significant memory loss to dementia and Alzheimer’s disease – among people aged 70 and older.
